Mid-year can bring a lot of emotions. You may be sprinting toward goals, buried in daily chaos, wondering how it’s already July (!) or doubting whether you’ve made any real progress.

This is your quick pause button.

Whether you're running a team of two or twenty, this is a moment to look in the mirror - not just at how your team is doing, but how you’re doing as a manager. Not in a “grade yourself on a scale of 1–10” kind of way. Instead, in a “how am I really showing up for them - and for myself, and what can I do about it?” kind of way.

Here’s the gut check I recommend, and a video where I roleplay walking through this as a manager. You can use it as-is, adapt it for your style or walk through it out loud on your own. It's real talk and designed to help you reset no matter your role or industry.

Now, go through the checklist yourself: 

1. How am I showing up?

Let’s start with you. Not your to-do list. Not your team. You.

• Am I the kind of manager I’d want to work for right now?

• What’s something I’ve handled well lately - and what impact did that have?

• Where have I been short, scattered or putting things off?

For example, you might be proud of yourself for making time for 1:1s... but also realizing that even though you're there, you're rushing through them, acting like a human calendar instead of a manager. That’s probably not what you want to be. So you could make one small shift - show up to each one-on-one with a couple open-ended questions for team members instead of just an "update swap."

2. Who’s doing well… or seems like they are?

Here’s where we get tripped up. It’s easy to focus on the people with problems and assume silence = good.

• Who’s actually doing well - and how do I know? Am I sure, or am I assuming that?

• Who’s been unusually quiet - could they be stuck or overwhelmed but not saying anything?

• Who delivers consistently but might be slowly checking out?

Real talk: You might have a team member who’s agreeable, does their job well and never asks for anything. It’s easy to take that as a win and keep moving. But if you pause and think about it - have you really checked in on how they feel about their work? Are they fulfilled or just quietly coasting? Use this mid-year moment to proactively check in. A simple conversation could uncover something important and help them feel more connected and supported.

3. Where am I overexplaining - or avoiding?

Sometimes we overdo it with encouragement and end up watering down real feedback. Or sometimes we avoid a convo altogether under the guise of “being kind.”

• Who am I tiptoeing around - instead of being clear?

• Where am I overexplaining - instead of letting someone figure it out?

• Is my feedback actually helpful - or maybe confusing?

Example: You might find yourself regularly telling an employee things like “Your role really matters because ___” but start to notice it feels a little one-sided - like you’re spoonfeeding them instead of helping them build it themselves. So try shifting the conversation by asking, “How do you see your role contributing to the organization?” Then, explain why you’re asking (so they don't have the natural question of "why are you changing this up?!") - not to quiz them, but to help them connect the dots and feel more ownership. That small shift can create a bigger impact than a dozen "pep talks."

You may be explaining that because I've talked about it in the Manager Method Minute newsletter and go more in depth in our Manager 101 course - how you, as the manager, making that connection to purpose is the number one driver of employee engagement. But it's also important to help employees start to do that on their own to build their strategy skills.

4. Who needs something different from me?

This is a good moment to zoom out.

• Who’s ready for more responsibility - or could use some visibility*?

• Who’s burning out - but covering it well?

• Who haven’t I truly talked to lately - beyond surface updates?

If someone’s always saying they’re “good” or “fine” in a check-in, try nudging a little deeper with something like, “If something’s frustrating you but you’ve hesitated to bring it up… what would that be?” It’s not a trap - it just gives them permission to be real. You might be surprised by what comes up when you make space for it.

*Visibility matters more than we sometimes realize. When your own leaders know your team’s names, accomplishments and goals - that’s a win.

5. What do I need to adjust in how I lead?

This part’s uncomfortable - but that’s the point. Growth doesn’t come from coasting, and your team takes cues from what you do, not just what you say.

• What’s something I need to stop doing - because it’s slowing my team down?

• What’s one habit I want to model better - clarity, calm, curiosity, accountability?

• What’s one conversation I keep putting off - that would make everything easier?

Write it down. Don’t let it live in your head (and become a "to do" that you haven’t done in December). Be honest about it, and make a small plan to move it forward this week. That one tweak could unlock a lot - for you and your team.

6. How am I doing in my career?

This check-in isn’t just about leading others. It’s also about what you want.

• What do I want more of - and what do I want less of?

• Am I being clear about what I want - or hoping someone reads my mind?

• What’s something I keep doing - that isn’t helping me grow?

• What’s one thing I’m ready to say out loud, ask for or let go of?

As a manager, you can get so focused on developing your team that you forget to think about your own growth. You say yes to things that don’t align with where you want to go - maybe because it feels like the right thing to do or you’re just used to putting yourself last. But this is your reset.

Pick one thing you’re ready to lean into for yourself - and one thing you want to stop doing (and a plan of whether it needs to get done and if so, who that could potentially transition to). That small shift can make a big difference - not just for you but for how you show up as a leader.

What to do next

You don’t need a full overhaul. A 30-point “new me” strategy sounds great until real life hits - and truly, you don’t need that. You just need to take a moment to pause and get real with yourself.

Mid-year isn’t about being behind or perfect. It’s about reconnecting - to your team, your purpose and your own career.

And if your reset has you thinking about more focused leadership development - for yourself or your team - check out our Manager Method resources. Whether you need help with management fundamentals (Manager 101), strategic leadership (Manager 201) or personal career success (Employee Success), we’ve got practical, ready-to-use tools to help you lead with clarity and confidence - the kind of leader who sets direction, supports their team and shows up with purpose every day.